Trap.



A. V. LINDQUIST.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s. 1917.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918\` L T ATES PATET ALBERT V. LINDQ'UIST, OF ALEXANDRIA, MINNESOTA.

TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Application aiea Maren s, 1917. seran No. 153,322.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT V. LIND- QUIsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Douglas and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful lImprovements in Traps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to traps and more particularly to a steel trap designed for use in catching muskrats, gophers, and other burrowing animals.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a steel trap of the above stated character which embodies a pair of elongated jaws disposedat right angles to the U-shaped actuating spring so that the jaws of the trap can be inserted through an opening ,in the ground into the runway of the musk-rat or gopher.

Another object of the invention is to position the trap trigger intermediate the jaws so that when the latter are positioned within the musk-rat runway, the trigger will be disposed centrally in the runway so that the animal in passing through the runway must trip the trigger.

A still further object lof the invention is to provide the trap with a handle disposed diametrically opposite the U-shaped actuating spring, said handle and spring coperating to support the trap in the ground open- A still further object of the invention is to provide a device or trap of the above stated character which will be of cheap and inexpensive construction and which can bev quickly and readily operated in an efective manner.

'With these'and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved steel trap, shown arranged in set position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the trap, showing it sprung.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thetrap as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4. is a detailed elevation of the base member.

Fig. 5 is a detailed perspectiveview of the trigger.

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the trigger bar.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the supporting handle bar which has been secured in position upon the b ase member; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are used to denote like parts throughout the following description and the accompanying drawmcs.

lReferring more particularly to the drawings reference numeral 1 indicates an elongated base member, which at one end is recessed in its opposite side edges to provide a pair of shoulders 2 and 3, respectively, and pivoted to the base member as at 4, adjacent the shoulders 2 are a pair of elongated jaw members 5.

Each of these jaws 1 is constructed of channel metal as clearly shown in Fig. 8 and embody an inner straight portion 6 and an outer curved portion 7 the inner opposed edges of the curved portion 7 -being each formed with a series of notches or teeth 8. Extending transversely through the outer end of the straight portion G of each jaw member is an aperture 9 the bottom of which is formed intermediate its ends with a raised portion 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The trigger bar 11 is disposed through the apertures 9 and is provided adjacent its opposite ends with notches 12 which are designed to engage over the raised portions 10 of the aperture 9 to hold and maintain the jaws in open position. The trigger bar is further provided intermediate its ends with a pair of angular lugs 13 that are designed to be pressed together throuvh the aperture 14 in the trigger 15 and orm a pivotal support for the trigger.

As shown the trigger 15 is formed from a single strip of metal folded upon itself and having its free ends separate to provide a pair of arms 16. The upper end of the trigger is recessed to'provide a pair of spaced lugs 17 and are designed to be positioned on opposite sides of the trigger bar 1l. The space between the'lu-gsl? is slightly greater than the thickness of the trigger bar so that the trigger may have an independent movement oi the trigger bar vof say 10o before thetrigger will be locked with trigger bar for movement therewith.

When the jaws have been arranged in set position, it will be apparent that by virtue of the raised portion 10, that when 4the trigger l5 'has been moved upward to substantially a horizontal position, it will have locked the trigger bar l1 in the aperture 9 suti- V ,cientlyto have disengaged the recess lfrom i Y supported inthe hole in the ground that l Y connects with the musk-ratl runway, I have the raised portions l0 or the bottom of the aperture 9, thus allowing the jaws to `spring together.

- Inforder to close the jaws under tension I Y have provided a U-shaped expansion spring 1 8 which embodies the arms 19 and 20, the arin 20 being providedy in itsfree end with an opening sutliciently large to receive the inner ends of the jaws and the base member, while the free( end ot the arm 19 is provided with an opening just sufficiently large to receive the-shoulders but not large enough Vto permit of the shoulders 2 passing through.

In order that Vthe trap may be conveniently rovided a handle 21, which as'shown in Fig. 4has one end pointed or sharpened as indicated at 22, while theopposite end is 'provided withV an aperture 25 which `has Communicating with it a V-shaped slit 24.

In assembling the device, the arms of the expansion springs 18 are arranged-in posiytion after which the handle 2l is arrangedV over the shoulders 3 and the handle subsequently Vis squeezed sui'liciently to close the V-shaped slit 24, thus securing the handle around the connecting portion between the shoulders 2 and 3, respectively. From this itA v will be seen that the handle is freely rotatable around the base member and is adapted to beheld in any rotated position through the expansive force of the U-shaped expansion spring.

Vhile the handle 21 and the U-shaped expansion spring may be positioned upon foaespt `this Ypatent may he nhteinedtr runway, however theslightplayofthe trigger with respect to the trigger bar is such that it will tend to impress the animal that Y thetri-gger can be pushed entirely out of the way without any danger of his being caught.

l/Vhat I claim as new is :--J e 1. A trap comprising a base member, a pair of elongated jaws pivotallyattached -to said base member and each provided with an aperture adjacent its inner end. an oscillatory trigger bari; disposed through.theaperf ture of said jaws and formed withinotches adjacent each end adapted `to engage the outer edges of said apertureslto hold the jaws in open position, a trigger pivotally attached to and projecting from the trigger bar Iso as.v

to permit of ,a slight relative movementof the trigger Vwith respectto the trigger bar in either direction before tripping thetrigger,and a Ushaped expansion vspring'havy ing the ends of 'its Varms aplerturedand mounted on y.Said basemembenoneof said arms Aengaging `the merend pQrtQns of the jaws and Seri/inst@ Close-the release of the trigger. 4 Y

2. A trap comprising la base membenQ-and "a pair of jaws pivotally attached to lsaid'base member and each having their innerends apertured, an oscillatory t-rigger'bar disposed throughv the apertures of saidV jaws and provided adjacent each end with a notch,

and a pair of lugsdepending from theV trigger bar intermediate itsends, a trigger hav- ,ing its inner endrecessed to provide a pair of spaced ylugs designed to ,bef positioned onV jawsnpcn the the. opposite sides of the trigger bar,fsai d trigger being provided with an aperture adjacent said recessedV ends and adapted to receive said depending lugs to pivotally support the trigger from the trigger bar saidk trigger having a slight relative movementV therewith and a U-shaped expansion spring for closing said jaws upon the actuation of the trxggerbar.

3. In a trap of the class described, `the Vcombination with a base member, and aU- shaped expansion spring having its ends apertured and arranged over the .base mem-.

ber, of a handle rotatably mounted onthe inner end of the base member and adapted to be held in any rotatory position by the ,eX- pansive force of said expansion springs and cooperating with said expansion spring to supportthe trap within the animal runway.

In testimony whereof I 'have signed myV name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Y j AALBER'I'V.'LINDQUISI. Y1Witnesses: Y i

GEO. L.'I`REAT, v .Mariana E. LINDQUIST.

ve cents each. by addressing the Gommissoner erige-tents, 'Washngtoznn n j 

